Garden School Tattler

Here's a letter from a concerned parent. There have been a lot lately and that is very encouraging. It means so much to us. It's VERY important to us to know what's in the heart of our most caring parents.

A commentor a few days ago suggested that leaving a staff memeber behind on long field trip days would also help those parents who don't want to send their child on a field trip through 2 states, over 3 hours one way. I notice this post did not address that issue, other than to say it is "punishing" a staff member to leave them behind. Hmmmm....... More than just the 3 poorly behaved children did not attend the major field trip. My child didn't go, and my child earned the trip. I feel that the education (classroom teaching) program at GS is first class. It's the long field trip that bothers me. GS staff know of my reservation and I have gotten the impression that I'm the only person to speak up.

To leave two teachers - liability demands it - and three poorly behaved children and a couple of really good children whose parents are not keen on the long trip would never bode will with the well behaved. It creates a stigma.

When my girls were in sixth grade, they suddenly had to shower in gym with all the other girls. I have never been in favor of communal showering. I hate it. I think it's degrading and I told my children at the time that they did not have to participate, but I gave them the choice and all of them happily showered with the others. Giving them the choice allowed me to let go. It allowed them to make a decision based on a social order imposed by others. I would never have allowed someone else including the state to make this decision for any of us. But at the same time, if my children decided not to shower with the rest of them for privacy or modesty sake, I would not have wanted them to be alienated either - body odor put aside.

Children stigmatize easily. I wouldn't want that to happen. So I still maintain that a private solution to the field trip problem is still the best one.